Annual $5,500 Prose and Poetry Contests, Open to All Writers

Each year, Tom Howard Books and John Howard Reid sponsor two Writing Contests. These Contests are open to all writers worldwide, although please note that all entries must be written in English.

In order of annual closing dates, these contests are:

1. The John Howard Reid/Tom Howard Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest, deadline April 30, 2014. See full details below. Entries for Contest 22 will be accepted from July 15, 2013. Prize money will amount to at least $5,550. The entry fee is $16 for each story or essay up to 5,000 words in length. The prize structure for Contest 22 will consist of a First Prize of $3,000, a Second Prize of $1,000, a Third Prize of $400, and a Fourth Prize of $250. In addition, at least six cash prizes of $150 each will be awarded, making a total of $5,550.

2. The $5,650 Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Prizes. The 2013 contest has amalgamated the Tom Howard Poetry Contest for Verse in All Styles and Genres with the Margaret Reid Prize for Traditional Verse. The Combined Contest is now open. Full details are posted below.

Here is the fourth and latest Anthology of Prizewinning Poems from the Tom Howard Poetry Prize and the Margaret Reid Prize for traditional verse. Amazon are offering a special price of only $9.95. Unfortunately, owing to copyright restrictions, this book will NOT be available as an e-book, but as a traditional printed book only. 

The 22nd John Howard Reid & Tom Howard Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest

will open on July 15, 2013!

Please scroll right down this page.

Or visit: http://shortstorycontest.0catch.com

Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest closes April 30, EACH YEAR. Prize Money for fiction and prose entered in Contest 22 will be US$5,550 cash,  including a First Prize of US$3,000 and a Second Prize of US$1,000! Online submission will be available at Winning Writers: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tomstory/ts_guidelines.php

Here's absolute-must reading for all who wish to succeed in literary contests and writing competitions! A new edition, illustrated below, of my famous handbook "WRITE WAYS TO WIN WRITING CONTESTS: How to Join the Winners' Circle for Short Story Awards, Poetry Prizes, etc." is now available. The new edition not only has extra pages, extra features, and information that's up to date, but is less expensive! What's more, Amazon have now published a Kindle edition for only $2.99! Barnes and Noble, Sony, Apple and other e-book stores are selling a slightly more updated edition for $3.99. Please click this link for Amazon Kindle: Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS

What's $2.99 compared to increasing your chances of carrying off that $3,000 in cash First Prize? 

Do you find it hard to think up a good title and/or find exciting names for your characters? I know I do. But my problems were solved when I compiled HOLLYWOOD CLASSICS TITLE INDEX TO ALL MOVIES... Here are thousands of titles and names with proven impact. Movie titles and names are designed to attract attention. Of course, it's not a good idea to use the names of current stars and recent movies, but here are thousands of great titles and names dating back to 1920! I wish this book had been available back in the 1980s when I had a publishing contract for two novels a year. Until now I've never understood why some of my books were spectacular successes (even if rubbished by the critics), yet on the other hand, two novels, "Challenge the Wind" and "Fast Times in Paradise" that were praised to the skies and honored with awards, struggled to sell a few hundred copies. How come? This book tells me that "Challenge" is not just a bad word, it's an absolute turn-off. Only two movie titles begin with that word, and one of them produced such a negative reaction, the title was changed! "Fast" is another negative. The book lists only one movie beginning with the word. I should have titled the book, "My Fast Times in Paradise!" No less than seventeen movies begin with "My". It's evidently a positive word that people can relate to. This massive book (344 pages) is available in e-book editions everywhere for only 99 cents! (The Amazon link with no price shown is actually the 99 cents Kindle edition). 

The Annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Prizes

for Poetry in All Styles and Genres including Traditional Verse 

This contest will close on September 30, 2013. For full details and online submission and mailing address: http://winningwriters.com/contests/margaret/ma_guidelines.php

Total Prize Money for this Contest: $5,650 (including TWO First Prizes of $2,000 each, one for strictly traditional verse, the other for poems in all styles and genres; TWO Second Prizes of $500 each, one for traditional, the other for any genre; a Third Prize of $150, plus five Most Highly Commended awards of $100 each).

Entry fee: $8 for every 25 lines (or part thereof). Blank lines and titles are not counted.

VERY FEW RESTRICTIONS 

Send as many poems as you like. No restrictions on length or subject matter. Poems must be your original work, but previously published poems and poems that have won prizes in other contests are welcome. "Traditional Verse" is defined as true rhyming verse and/or metrical verse, but haiku and other Oriental forms are also included. And when I say, true rhyming verse, I do NOT mean verse that deliberately uses rhymes that are not quite right. Rhyming 'ham' with 'Sam' is most acceptable; but cleverly echoing 'Sam' with 'Barnum' is not. In other words, to compete for the "traditional verse" awards, your entries should read like the poetry that Wordsworth, Scott, Tennyson, Shelley, etc., would write. You'll find some good examples in our anthology of previous winning poems, "SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME".   

Entry forms are not necessary, but by entering this contest you agree to abide by all its conditions. Please note that we cannot refund entry fees or return entries. Always keep a copy of your submissions. If sending by post, do NOT enclose an SSAE. Decisions by the chief judge are final. 

Winning and highly commended entries may be offered free print publication in an anthology of similar size and quality to SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME. However, you retain all rights and are free to accept or decline all offers of print publication whether it be in a quality trade paperback similar to SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME or any other printed book. However, you must agree to publication of your winning entry on the Winning Writers website.